Poor sanitation and the absence of clean water have stoked preventable diseases in Nigeria for years. Millions still defecate in the open owing to the absence of sanitary toilets.
Amidst this, waterborne infections like cholera, diarrhoea, and typhoid continue to claim lives, especially in rural areas, where clean water and hygiene infrastructure are scarce.
Kaduna State, one of Nigeria’s most populous, has long felt this burden. In response, the state announced an ambitious programme that will improve access to clean water and sanitation.
Toilets and boreholes for improved sanitation
Central to this initiative is the construction of 298 toilets and 156 boreholes across health centres, schools, and rural areas within the state.
Together, these facilities are expected to benefit close to 663,000 residents.
The toilets are a direct strike against open defecation, providing communities with safe, dignified options while enabling children in school and patients in health clinics to learn and get better in healthier conditions.
In the same vein, the boreholes offer consistent access to clean water far safer for drinking, cooking, and bathing, reducing the risk of disease from polluted streams.
Early impact
Recently at least 9 local governments in Kaduna State have been confirmed as open defecation-free and certified under national standards.
These feats confirm the success of hygiene campaigns and infrastructure in influencing behavioural change.
Educating local technicians on how to maintain boreholes is another notable idea, keeping facilities up and running well after ribbon-cutting ceremonies.
Without local capacity for repair, many rural water systems in Nigeria quickly collapse, leaving communities worse off. Kaduna’s approach proffers lessons for scaling with local ownership.
What’s more, Kaduna’s model fits within a global framework showing productivity gains of up to $5 for every $1 invested in sanitation.
Kaduna is not alone in this ambition. The Lagos State Government recently took decisive action against open defecation with its installation of 100 new public toilets across all local government areas in the state. This is part of its comprehensive Resilience Strategy.
The programme is in full alignment with the universal water and sanitation access target globally in the year 2030 (SDG 6)
Furthermore, through WaterAid and private sector partnerships, the state launched the construction of an additional 350 public toilets with the promotion of behaviour change in hygiene through the use of advocacy, infrastructural development and enforcement campaigns.
The road ahead
However, there are hurdles. Maintenance of nearly 300 toilets demands continued vigilance, particularly during school breaks, as neglect could undo progress.
Equity is another challenge; making sure that residents in rural villages are included will push the programme’s limits.
Yet addressing these gaps is what gives the programme its punch. Apparently, Kaduna is showing that communities can take giant leaps towards sanitation through improved infrastructure and public education.
Summary not available at this time.
